Bittersweet Blood
by diabeticgirl4
Summary: He's a vampire, she's a diabetic. They have a bittersweet relationship. They weren't made for each other, but they can't live without each other. How can she manage her diabetes and a vampire boyfriend, without ruining her health or relationshipip? OCxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: my first twilight fanfic! I'm also writing a Maximum Ride fanfic, titled "A Rose by Any Other Name" if you want to check it out. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or anything except Michaela and Brian, alright? **

Chapter 1

I breathlessly rushed into the classroom and into the closest empty seat I could find just as the tardy bell rang. I caught my breath, and noticed every student staring at me. Blushing from the sudden attention, I pulled out my schedule from my backpack. First class of the day: Algebra II, classroom 108. This was room 108 right? I was sure of it.

An old, balding man, who I presumed to be the teacher, walked in the room and wrote his name on the chalkboard: Mr. Richards.

"All right class, welcome to your first day as sophomores, and welcome to Algebra II," Mr. Richards droned in a bored voice. He continued to roll call, listing the names of various students with a very I-would-rather-be-somewhere-else tone.

That's when I saw Him.

Three rows over, second to last seat, sat what looked like an angel on earth. An angel that seemed to have gotten zero sleep the past week, much like me. He looked like perfection, with golden eyes staring intently at the teacher matching his golden hair. I could just stare at him forever, but…

"Michaela Davidson?"

"Wuh? Oh, here."

"Ah, pay attention next time Miss Davidson. Oh, I see you're a new student here? Welcome to Forks High. Where are you from, what school?"

My cheeks reddened with the sudden unwanted attention.

"I just moved from Shelton, it's about a three-hour drive from here, and I went to Oakland Bay Junior High."

I wanted to bury my head in the desk as I heard various voices whisper "new kid", "Shelton?", and "junior high!"

Thankfully Mr. Richards continued roll call and then rambled onto classroom rules. I turned my eyes to the angel, and noticed he seemed to be the perfect student as well. He had a notebook out and was already scribbling notes. I realized I should probably be taking notes also, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the boy.

The bell rang, and I realized that I had wasted the whole class time staring at the boy. I hurriedly scribbled down the assignment, shoved my notebook back into my nearly thirty-pound bag, and yanked out my schedule.

"You're Michaela right? What's your next class?" said the most beautiful voice I could ever imagine. I turned around and saw the angel himself, and I instantly lost myself in his golden eyes. I stared at him until he frowned, most likely waiting for an answer.

"Oh, um, I have Chemistry with Ms. Young in room… 213," I responded, breaking free from his gorgeous eyes. He flashed a stunning smile at me.

"Great! We're in the same class, again! I'm Brian by the way, Brian Cullen."

I smiled back and melted on the inside.

He walked out the door and I shadowed him. I think I was supposed to try to memorize the route, but instead, like in Algebra II, I found myself admiring him again.

He suddenly stopped, and I ran into him. Oof! I looked up and he had the door propped open.

"Chemistry, room 213. Ladies first?" he asked with a flourished smile. A smile that left me breathless.

"Uh, sure, thanks," I said after a pause. I found the class was half empty, that we still had several minutes before the bell rang again.

I sat down at the nearest table and took out a sheet of paper. Science wasn't my strongest topic in the past years, so I was determined to take notes and get at least a reasonable grade.

However, I began doodling hearts all over the paper. Seconds later, a hand doodled a perfect little heart, complete with a perfect little arrow.

I looked into his eyes- Brian's glittery golden eyes- and, I think my heart stopped.

I only resumed breathing when he instructed me to do so.

"Breathe," he said, looking at me funny. "Are you okay? You're turning an interesting shade of purple. There's still enough time to go to the nurse, you know."

I took a deep breath and made sure my heart was beating cooperatively. It was.

"I'm fine; I just might need to check my blood sugar later. I'm a diabetic," I explained. I expected slight confusion and "what's that?", but Brian just nodded.

"Ah. My father's a doctor, and he's spoken of diabetic patients before."

I chuckled to myself.

"Well your father could be very useful for me." Brian frowned, so I quickly reassured him. "Just joking! My blood sugar has been very under control lately," I stated matter-of-factly.

The teacher then rushed into the room, and I spotted at least four students simultaneously stuff their cell phones into their pockets.

"At lunch we should do Q & A's," Brian whispered to me. I grinned.

"We shall."

The bell rang, and it became an Algebra II repeat. Introduction, role call, introduce-and-embarrass-the-new-kid, then notes.

This teacher didn't ramble on in an impossible-to-understand dull monotone manner, but rather in an impossible-to-understand speedtalk clocked at approximately 84 words per minute.

I tried to decipher her chicken scratch, but came out fruitless. I watched as Brian's paper became filled with flawless cursive writing, then turned my attention to my heart-filled paper. I sighed dreamily, then wrote the letters M and B in the middle of a heart.

Brian took my pen, then with the flick of his wrist, added a plus sign between the two letters. I blinked, and he was back in super-student mode as if nothing had happened.

Not even two hours had gone by on my first day of school at a completely new school, and I was already head-over-heel in love.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, I've been busy/lazy/brain-dead/writer's blocked… anyways! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/faved/alerted, etc… virtual cookies to all! Hopefully next chapter will come quicker. :)**

**This story is kinda based on my life in a way… I'm a diabetic, I'm a soph also, lol I actually did get lost on my way/ and was late to English on my first day last year… but then again, I didn't fall in love with a super hawt vampire either… but ya, I found out retelling my life story Twilight version is really fun. :D **

**And sorry for blabbing too much, here's chapter 2! **

**oh and btw, bold/italic font is their writing, since we can't have really cool fancy fonts here on FF...**

Chapter 2

(Brian's POV)

_So this is what Edward means by _la tua cantante _and _my Bella, I mused.

Watching Michaela dreamily gaze at her paper reminded me that I needed to keep taking notes. I had practically memorized this subject, could ace any test with my years in chemistry, but I knew Michaela would need the notes.

As I wrote, I noticed out of the corner of my eye Michaela writing on a fresh sheet of paper. I went back to taking as detailed notes as possible, when a sheet of paper overlapped mine. I blinked, and looked at the paper.

_**What's your schedule? I have PE and English next, then after lunch I have Spanish and Social Studies.**_

I grinned, copied my schedule below hers, and slid the paper back to her.

(Michaela's pov)

_**Algebra II, Chemistry, Spanish, PE, English, Social Studies**_

_Well, at least we have social studies together_, I thought. _And if I'm lucky, I might pass by him after PE. _

I looked up at the clock and realized that there were five minutes left in class. I looked at the teacher's writing again, but stickmen had taken over the board, exchanging scientific conversations, explaining the rules and laws of science. At least, that's what it looked like.

I closed my eyes and sighed, and when I opened them, somehow within the three seconds I wasn't looking, the given assignment replaced every lab-coated stickman on the board. I quickly wrote it down, then shoved my papers in my folder.

The bell rang, and as I stuffed my folder in my backpack I noticed papers still laying on the desk. I picked them up, and recognized Brian's writing. They were his notes for algebra II and chemistry.

"Brian, you left your-" but I found he had already left the room. I looked at the papers again and noticed in one corner was written _**you might want these, they'll help a lot with the homework assignments.**_

I managed to get to PE on time. Since I didn't have a uniform, I was the only one in regular "street clothes" as the teacher called them. However, I still had to participate in the running and activities. Without Brian, I realized just how long the classes were, and how slow they really went.

I got lost on my way to English, but found a teacher that directed me to the classroom. I was late, but the teacher excused me, seeing that I was a new student.

I took out a sheet of paper, absolutely determined to take good notes for this class, another difficulty in the past. However, this teacher announced that there would be no notes or homework, just a get-to-know-one-another game, which I wasn't too fond of. When that was over, I managed to forget every single student's name.

The teacher couldn't think of anything else to do for the remainder of class, so it was basically free-time. I forgot to bring the book I was reading, _Maximum Ride: the Final Warning_, so I took out Brian's notes.

I absent-mindedly read over the notes, when I noticed another small note in a corner. _**Meet me at lunch** _was written, with the place printed right next to it. Now I could hardly wait until lunch. However, I still had to wait thirty minutes until the bell would ring. It would be a very long thirty minutes.

(Brian's pov)

I sat outside waiting at the place I wrote to Michaela to meet me for lunch, at the table closest to the outside door of the cafeteria. The bell had rung nearly two minutes ago, and Michaela still hadn't appeared. I stood up to search for Michaela when the door swung open and her scent came _whoosh_ingin my direction.

I smiled as the blonde-haired girl came and sat down next to me.

"Sorry, apparently I can't tell the difference between left and right, and I walked to the auditorium before I realized I took a wrong turn," she laughed. "By the way, how long is lunch, do you know?"

"I believe it's about forty minutes."

"Good, that gives us time for Q and A. Um, do you want to start?"'

"Sure, why not. First off, why are you here? I mean, you have to have a reason to move over a hundred miles from a fairly big, nice city to a small, barely-known town here. What's your story?"

"Yikes, start with the complicated questions. Well it's a long story. But, seeing we have some time, why not.

"So I pretty much lived my whole life in Shelton. I finished ninth grade at Oakland Bay. I had pretty good grades, a few close friends, and just a plain ol' good year, you know? So summer was about halfway over when my parents divorced. Mom stayed in Shelton, but Dad moved to Forks, here."

"So you moved here. Why though? Didn't you like it there?"

"Yeah, I loved it there. But I'm not totally close to my mom, and my dad's just plain cooler with me. Like he doesn't freak out about every single little thing, especially my diabetes. He knows I can control it and do everything myself, so he just kinda leaves it to me. Plus, I've kinda wanted a change. All my friends were going to a different school instead of Shelton High, and my mom would never let me switch, so I wasn't looking forward to school there anyways."

"Ah, makes sense."

"Now how bout you? What's your story?"

"Heh, I was expecting that back. Well I've been here in Forks for as long as I remember," I lied. "My parents died when I was little, I don't remember much about them. I didn't have any friends or other family, so I had to stay at an orphanage up until a few years ago." Lies, more lies. "Carlisle and Esmé Cullen then adopted me. They've adopted others, but I'm the youngest and newest. There's Edward, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie Hale, and Emmet. They're all off and married, even Edward, and he graduated here last year. He met Bella here a few years ago, and now they're off at college together." There, those weren't necessarily real lies, well maybe a few parts. I hated telling lies, but some times I had to live off them.

"Wow," she laughed. "You make my life sound so boring! Say, where's your lunch, you finish it already?" Now I laughed.

"Yep, finished it while you were trying to learn your directions," I teased.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "This is a big school to a newcomer you know!" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember last year, how much bigger this school looked then."

She smiled, and pulled a paper bag and a small black case out of her backpack. Out of the bag she pulled a sandwich, an apple, and a small bag of chips, then unzipped the case. Inside lay a small meter, bottle, and… a lancet? Oh no.

I've once read about diabetes. A diabetic needs insulin via syringe or what they call an insulin pump. The amount of insulin they need is decided upon what they eat, and their blood sugar. To find their blood sugar, they have to prick a finger to draw blood, and the meter tells how much glucose is in their blood. Can be either a dream or a nightmare to a vampire, depending on their "diet". A nightmare to me.

Before I could say anything, she had taken a small strip out of the bottle, applied it to the meter, and I watched as she absent-mindedly took out the lancet, pressed it against her right index finger, and pressed the small button.

The horrible scent of blood filled the air. I bit my lip and dared not to breathe at all.

_This is not happening… I can't… _

I had to get out of there. In one swift movement I grabbed my backpack and fled to the cafeteria. I found an empty hallway and sank against a locker. I pressed my palms against my forehead and took a deep breath. I could still smell the blood, but it was very faint.

I shuddered as I recalled Edward once telling me the story of when Jasper nearly attacked Bella due to a simple paper cut. A simple thing like a sliver of a paper cut could completely set us off, like it did to Jasper that one day.

Carlisle had warned me to feed before the first week of school, and now I understood. Though Michaela's blood was horrifyingly tempting, it would have been so much worse had I been thirsty.

I started walking around to clear my mind. I had a small break from her, but then I would have to face her last period. I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Aww, thanks you guys for all the reviews, faves, alerts, everything! Virtual cookies to: Sierra Jade Faerie, bookwormkrissy, cowzgomoo722, ****Socialxxhazard, Pentacle Witch 13, TiffanyBlu, WolfGirlSingerChic, Shstar, vampirelover15, twilighterxx4, and anyone else I might have missed! **

**Oh, and note, my Tyler is different than Tyler Crowley, just making that clear. No confusion. Right. (nod)**

* * *

Chapter 3

(Michaela's pov)

5...4...3...2...1... Beep!

I smiled at the meter as it displayed the number 132 across the tiny screen. I licked my finger to stop the bleeding and looked up to Brian. Or, where Brian was.

I looked around, and when I looked at the cafeteria, I saw someone running. Brian?

I sighed. I would have to talk with him about his sudden disappearance in Social Studies.

I would have chased after him, but I couldn't leave my food uneaten, and I still didn't know my way around school yet. Instead, I started eating my food, not even tasting it.

_Perhaps he doesn't like blood_, I thought. I recalled memories of fellow students at my old school that would freak out whenever I checked my blood. _But he didn't have to run away at least!_

It started raining, and I groaned. I gathered my things and walked inside. I searched for an empty table, but the closest to an empty table had what looked like three seniors seated. I sighed, and sat as far away as the people as I could. I prayed that the people could ignore me, or at least not stare. But of course, my prayers went unheard.

"Hey dude look, it's the new girl. You, New Girl- It's uh, Michelle isn't it?"

I stared at the apple in my hand, refusing to look up at the senior. "It's Michaela," I replied quietly.

"Oh, my bad, _Michaela_. Say, where's your boyfriend? I saw you shadowing that dude wherever he went like a little puppy-dog. You know, if he aint good enough, I'm always available," he said, throwing a smirk at me. His friends snickered behind him.

I abruptly stood up and, without making any eye contact, relocated again. I could hear the snickering grow louder.

_Why me? _I thought. All the other tables looked just as uninviting. I suddenly recalled passing the Spanish room, so I retraced my steps. I stood outside the door, checking the number. I opened the door and was greeted by the teacher, Ms. Sanchez by the name written on the board.

"Hola, siñorita! What do you need?"

"Hi, um, is it okay if I eat my lunch here? I have this class next."

The teacher nodded. "Sure, but be sure to clean up after yourself. Mice usually invite themselves in this room every night, especially if there's food present," she whispered. I nodded slowly, and noted myself to try to avoid as many future conversations with this teacher.

I ate my lunch in peace, except for Ms. Sanchez constantly walking around, writing Spanish terms on the board, and eventually stopping to read a Spanish picture book.

I finished my lunch and made sure I hadn't left a single crumb. The bell rang, and the students came pouring in. I recognized a few students from previous classes, but didn't remember any names.

The tardy bell rang, and when Ms. Sanchez began to welcome the class, the door opened. _Tardy_.

The second I looked at the student I immediately knew the chances of my Spanish year being a good one were diminishing quickly. It was the senior from lunch.

"Glad you could join us, Tyler. Keeping up your notorious record for being tardy are we? Find an empty seat and don't disrupt class by being late again."

"Yes ma'am, won't happen again," he said with a grin. He sat down in the only empty seat, which just happened to be behind me.

I ignored him best I could and tried concentrating on the teacher and her Spanish vocabulary. Which was difficult when Tyler became annoying. Like, poking me in the back with the eraser end of his pencil every five seconds. As I said, annoying.

He threw a folded piece of paper at me, and it landed square on my notes. I told myself not to open the note, but, curiosity killed the cat, and I unfolded the paper.

His phone number was written inside. I crumpled the piece of paper in disgust and slammed it on the corner of my desk. All the while receiving strange looks from close by students. I then shot my hand in the air.

"Sí, siñorita Davidson?"

"Ms. Sanchez, may I change seats?"

"Por qué? There are no other empty seats."

"May I please switch seats with somebody then?"

"No, not in the middle of class. If Tyler is bugging you, just ignore him."

"But Ms. Sanchez! That's what I've-"

"Por favor, siñorita! This is Spanish class. If you wish to continue this conversation, it will be after class. But for now, ignore him and _escucha_."

I sighed, a hopeless defeat.

For the remainder of class, I dealt with more pencil- pokes, notes thrown, and some whispering. I spent all my patience ignoring him, so by the time the bell rang, the only thing that kept me from skipping next class was seeing Brian.

I rushed out the door and towards the direction I remembered seeing room 146. I then realized I was being followed, by none other than the Creepy Senior Stalker Tyler. I turned to him.

"What the heck are you doing, following me?"

"Depends, what class do you have next?"

"Social Studies, room 146."

"Ah, I have English in 145." _Great_.

"Why are you such a jerk to me then?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I glared at him. "I like you," he whispered slowly. I fought the urge to punch him.

"Well you know what? I don't like you," I shot back, quickening my pace. He kept beside me.

"You're just saying that, you don't mean it."

"Shut up, go away!" I yelled at him. I finally arrived at the Social Studies door. I swung the door open, and without looking behind me, slammed it shut.

(Brian's pov)

The sound of the door slamming brought me back from my thoughts. I looked up as I saw Michaela storm into the room. She had a glare upon her face, and I wondered what put her in such a foul mood.

However, if she sat next to me, she would no doubt ask me about my actions at lunch, which I wasn't ready to explain to her why.

She looked at me, and for a moment her expression of fury melted. I glared at her and hoped she would get the message. She did, as she suddenly looked understanding and hurt.

I immediately regretted my actions, but I couldn't take them back. I sighed, and watched as Michaela walked to a seat towards the front of the classroom, sat down, then buried her head in her hands.

I realized that at that time, I would give anything to have Edward's mind-reading gift. I didn't, so I paid attention to the teacher and took notes throughout the class. I glanced at Michaela several times, and her eyes never left the teacher.

I waited in anticipation, and when the bell finally rang signifying the school day was finally over, I leapt out of my seat and rushed out of the room. I winced as I realized why I was running: I was a coward, running away from my fears. I couldn't face my fear of explaining what I am to Michaela, so I ran faster.

(Michaela's pov)

The bell rang, and I watched as Brian suddenly ran out of the room. I quickly gathered my stuff and ran after him. The hall became quickly filled, and I constantly bumped into people, but I was eager not to lose sight of him. I shouted his name, but he never looked back.

I chased him outside to the parking lot, where he slowed his pace. He walked up to a bright red, brand-new looking Corvette, where he opened the door and sat in the driver's seat.

_Driver's seat! _I realized with a jolt_. He has a driver's license, not to mention a brand new, expensive car! I still have to ride the bus… _which reminded me that I couldn't miss the bus.

I managed to get to the bus in time, right before it closed its doors. I stumbled through the isle, making sure not to trip on someone's foot or backpack. I finally found a seat by a girl that was chatting on her phone too loudly.

I watched everyone get off the bus before I got off at my stop, the last one on the route. I walked the short distance to my house and stepped inside the empty house. Dad wouldn't be home for another few hours, so all I had was my cat Sammy. I couldn't find her, so I assumed she was outside, where she enjoyed being the most.

I suddenly felt small and alone, so I quietly walked to my room. It wasn't a small room, but with my bed taking up one corner of the room and bookshelves the others, I guess it did look rather small.

I tossed my backpack onto the floor and flung myself on the bed. _What a first day of school_, I thought. _I totally fall in love with this guy, love at first sight, and he seems to like me back. Then he flips out at lunch, and hates me for the rest of the day. And on top of that, I get this creepy senior being a jerk and hitting on me._

I sighed, and reached for my iPod. I turned it on shuffle, and lost myself in the music.

* * *

**Yes, I do actually have a creepy senior stalker named Tyler… sad isn't it… v.v**

**Anyways! (cough) Reviews make the world go round! And virtual cookies help the world go round! :D virtual cookies to reviews!**


	4. AN!

**UBER A/N!!**

K so for some unknown reason, my laptop's completely messed up. As in, I can turn my laptop on, but nothing comes up, just a blank screen. Plus, it keeps restarting every five seconds or so. So not cool.

So, until I get it fixed or it miraculously starts working, there's no way I can submit chapter 4. Depressing, I know. Currently it is completed (I'm also working on chapter 5). I have the beginning half and the ending half written on paper, but the edited and better beginning and the middle part is on the computer.

So if worst comes to worst, I'll have to rewrite the middle part (and remember as much as I can), and retype the entire thing on my mom's laptop, and keep taking over her laptop (sorry mom!), and hopefully submit it. And if my laptop does end up working and/or gets fixed, I'll just replace the chapter with a better looking, edited version. :P

Uh, I hope all my talking is making sense… Basically, that's why I haven't updated in ages, and don't quite be expecting anything soon, unless my laptop revives from the dead. I'm working on chapter 5, so hopefully I'll update 2 chapters at once to make it up! :) that's cool, right?

And virtual cookies to everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited, anything like that. I'm sorry, I'm too lazy and too tired to list everyone, but you know who you are, and here are you virtual cookies! :)

I so sorry people, I know you like reading my fanfic, but be patient while I try to get it fixed and everything. And uh, nibble on some fresh yummy virtual chocolate chip cookies while you wait. -.-;;

So I guess this is a temporary hiatus…

And zomg Breaking Dawn comes out in like a week!! (squee) so excited…


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: OMG I am soooooo sorry guys… my laptop's like officially dead, so I had to retype the whole middle section, which took waaaay longer than I thought. I'm sorry guys, fresh gooey extra-sugary chocolate chip cookies for forgiveness? I've finished writing up till chapter 7 (or is it 8?), so it'll be so much smoother. I'd love to say I'll update every few days, but I do have a life unfortunately. A school life. D: Homework plus tennis and voice lessons, I'll be lucky if I'll be able to type a few paragraphs…**

**And for those who read my Max Ride ff, I'll try to update more often too. I know I promised last time (what was it, like two months ago?!) that I'd update more, but once again, homework, lessons, life…**

**I'm sorry for talking too much, I'll try not to as much next time. Anyways, here's chapter 4!**

CHAPTER 4

I was awoken by a door slamming and a voice yelling my name, signifying Dad's return from work. I got up and greeted Dad with a hug.

"So, how was your first day of high school?"

I made a face.

"Can't be that bad. Come on, how were your classes? Meet any new people?"

I made another face. "Easy. Uh, not... really..."

"Aw come on, no interesting people? Any boys?" I blushed.

"Well, there's this senior in my Spanish class-"

"Michaela, no, no, no. A senior, what in the world are you-"

"Dad! Chill! I don't like him, I _hate_ him! He's really annoying..."

"Ah, so you've got a senior after you. Anyone else?"

"Well, there's this sophomore I like..." okay _like_ was a major understatement.

"And he likes you back? He's cute?" Again, understatement.

"He's... really, really cute. He seemed to like me back, but he totally flipped out when I check my blood at lunch."

"Just give him time, he'll adjust. He probably wasn't expecting that."

"I don't know, Dad... I mean he totally flipped out. He ran away from me, and acted like he hated my guts in Social Studies."

"Hmm... Oh, isn't it almost dinnertime? Are you hungry?"

I checked the clock, and sure enough, it was nearly 5:30. Which meant I forgot to have my snack at 3:30. Which would explain the feeling of my stomach wanting to eat itself out of hunger, AKA low blood sugar.

I checked my blood, pricking my finger and applying the blood to the strip. I read the number, and groaned. 58, too low. My blood sugar should be somewhere between 80 and 180.

I retrieved a fruit punch juice box from the fridge and started drinking.

"How low?" Dad asked.

"58," I sighed. "I forgot my snack after school."

"Michaela, you know Mom wouldn't be happy if she heard." He relaxed and smiled. "Well I know you had a rough day, so you're excused for today. Pasta's for dinner, I saved you the box."

"Great, thanks Dad!"

I picked up the box and looked at the nutrition facts. A 1/2 cup of pasta had 45 carbohydrates. I also wanted bread with my pasta, which was 15 grams of carbs for one slice. I was only allowed to eat 45 grams for dinner, so I could only have 30 grams of pasta.

I divided 45 by three to get 15, and did the same with ½ cup to get 1/6 cup. I doubled 15 to get 30, and did the same with 1/6 to get 1/3. Therefore, 1/3 cup was equal to 30 grams.

No wonder math was my easiest subject.

When the pasta was done cooking, I measured out 1/3 cup of the cheesy noodles, and dumped it in a bowl. I quickly toasted a piece of wheat bread while I waited for my pasta to cool down. While waiting, I checked my blood again to make sure it rose enough, and it did, to 97.

Now I had to give myself my insulin shot before I could eat. I disliked taking my shots, but if I went without insulin, my blood sugar would go really high, and if I went without insulin for a long time, it could lead to death. But that wasn't too likely; I took care of my diabetes very well.

I found an unused syringe, and my two bottles of insulin- short acting and long acting insulin. I drew up the needed amount of the short acting clear insulin, and gently tapped the syringe to rid of any bubbles. Then I carefully added the needed amount of the long acting, cloudy insulin, making sure not to make any mistakes. I tapped the syringe again, and looked to see if I measured correctly. I did.

I thought of where to inject myself. My arm? I took my morning shot in my left arm. Perhaps my leg, but I changed my mind and decided to do it in my stomach.

I pinched a small area close to my right side, and gently inserted the needle into the skin. I felt it pierce the surface, then slowly pushed the plunger to release the insulin. I winced as I felt the cool liquid flow beneath the skin.

When I couldn't press the plunger further, I released my pinch and pulled the needle out. I exhaled the deep breath I was holding the whole time.

I discarded the syringe and store the insulin bottles back into the fridge, then went to eat my food.

Dad was switching between a tennis match and some football game on TV, so I ate my small meal in silence. When I was done, I washed out my bowl before putting it in the dishwasher, then went to my room to continue my homework.

I quickly finished my homework, and looked at the clock. The bright red numbers glared 7:13 pm. I sighed, what to do?

I put away all my homework, and even chose my outfit for the next day- a pink shirt with a black butterfly in the bottom corner, some nice capris, my favorite black boots, and a pink hairpin to match my shirt. I ate my snack and took my nighttime shot, but couldn't think of anything else to do. So, I decided to take a long hot shower.

Finally I yawned, so I decided I could go to bed, even though it was only 8:27. For probably the first time, I fell asleep out of pure boredom, rather than exhaustion.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the Algebra room the following morning was that Brian wasn't there. I wondered if he was just late, or was sick or something. Sure, it was only the second day of school, but I thought of Brian as one of those students who was responsible and rarely missed a day of school. I shrugged.

I sullenly sat through the boring class, but remembered to take notes. I was tempted to just my eyes for a few minutes, to see if I could get away with a short nap, but remembering that nobody might take notes for me…

I managed to not fall asleep, even though the majority of what we were learning was once more review from Algebra 1.

I dragged myself to Chemistry, and was disappointed to see Brian still wasn't there. Again. Only the sight of the teacher stuffing a red gummy bear into a test tube and having it burst into flames kept me from drifting off to la-la-land.

As the bell rang, I took my time in leaving the classroom. Other students were already arriving in the room before I left for English. I walked slowly through the hall, searching for Brian's perfect face in vain. The more faces I didn't recognize the more I got depressed.

The class stared at me when I stepped through the door right when the bell rang. I blushed and quickly found my seat before the teacher could say something.

The teacher decided to give a quick lecture about what would happen to us if one of us happened to be late. We were to report to the office and plead to the principal to just sign a tardy slip rather than give us a detention, then walk as quickly as we could back to class. …Or something along those lines, I wasn't paying too much attention.

After that short speech was over, she smiled sweetly and announced we were going to the library. She gave each of us a random subject, and we were supposed to research it online. I rolled my eyes, knowing half the students would instantly sneak onto Myspace or Youtube.

I looked at the sheet of paper labeling my subject: famous mythological creatures. I sighed. That was such a broad topic, I could easily write ten pages just about a unicorn. But to squeeze the knowledge of all the creatures in no more than five pages, that would be difficult.

I tried naming all the mythological creatures I knew. Unicorns, fairies, phoenixes, centaurs, dragons, mermaids, then the not-so cool and fascinating werewolves and vampires…

I mean, werewolves were guys that turned into crazy killer wolves every full moon and vampires were creepy century-old immortal guys intended on drinking everyone's blood at night, yet could be killed with a stick through their chest. Or something like that, vampires weren't mentioned much in Harry Potter.

I logged onto one of the age-old library computers, using my student ID as the password. I still didn't know the six-number combination, so I sharpied it on my hand, even though I clearly knew it wasn't the wisest thing to do so.

I watched it load. I could've sworn the library clock stopped moving too, or maybe it was just the frozen computer.

Another class walked in, and by the looks of it they were sophomores. They didn't look so rowdy and newb-like as freshman, but they didn't look like recent six-foot-tall graduates like the juniors and seniors. It helped that I recognized a few faces from previous classes. But alas, no Brian. Shocking.

I gave up on the still-loading computer and searched for a safe table, preferably one with all empty seats. Unfortunately, none were available.

I decided to take a seat at a table next to a girl from another class. She was silently reading a book, and she looked like she wasn't one to bite- or at least repeatedly poke with a pencil.

She looked up from her book and smiled.

"Michaela, isn't it? I'm Faye. My class is doing study hall, so i'm just reading."

I shyly smiled back.

"Yeah, it's Michaela. We're supposed to be doing research or something, but _hello_, I have a computer at home, and I can just do it there. Besides, these computers load like _snails_ they're so slow."

"I know what you mean," she laughed.

We talked quietly, to avoid being yelled at by one of our teachers. We mainly talked about our favorite things, things we hated, and other things about us.

She had a younger brother, two dogs, and a cat. I was an only child with one cat. She liked blues and greens, while I liked blues and pinks. She told me about the book she was reading, Wolf Star, and I told her about the Maximum Ride books.

"We should have lunch together, unless you were planning to eat with someone else," she said.

"No, it's fine. He's not here today, so I'm open."

The word _he_ sparked her interest. "Ooh, who?"

"Brian Cullen," I laughed.

"Good luck with him. I've heard he won't stay with one girl long, they're just not good enough for him apparently."

I grimaced- not exactly the news I was looking for.

The teachers began rounding up their students, so we quickly traded phone numbers and email addresses before following our classmates.

I sighed as I got ready for PE. We were supposed to run a mile outside, in the cold and rain. I was prepared to hate PE, but this? This was cruelty. Plus, the running would make my blood sugar low, especially if I hadn't eaten since breakfast.

After Physical Torture was over, I felt like I was going to collapse, which was definitely not a good sign.

On my way to lunch, I bought a small bottle of juice from a vending machine with a spare dollar. I took a few gulps and tried to slow my panting to deep breathing.

By the time I met Faye in the cafeteria, I felt a little better. I was about to check my blood sugar when I suddenly remembered Brian running off the previous day. I quickly explained that I was a diabetic and asked if she was going to, like, run away screaming at the sight of blood or something. She laughed, and claimed she didn't mind it.

I sighed- a happy relief.

I checked my blood sugar and found I was low- 76, so I took more sips of my juice.

We ate our lunches, talking and laughing every second until the bell rang. I went on my way to Spanish, while Faye went her way to Algebra 2.

I arrived in the Spanish room, still unusually gleeful from our chatty lunch. The front desk was engulfed in a swarm of students, so I went over to see what the commotion was about. A new seating chart was placed in the midst of the crowd.

I shoved myself within viewing distance of the paper. The closest seat to the front desk was labeled as Tyler's seat, and I found my name in the furthermost left of the class. Well out of Tyler's obnoxious range.

I happily walked over to my desk as the tardy bell rang.

Class went by in a blur. For once, I paid attention and fully participated. The bell came as a shock to me, and I quickly gathered my things before rushing to the door. I arrived at the Social Studies room before suddenly realizing that Brain wouldn't be there. He hadn't been there the whole time, why would he magically appear in this class?

My happiness diminished, and I was left with a feeling of emptiness.

The feeling stayed until I got home after school and ate my afternoon snack. Then, I thought to myself.

_What if Faye was right, and I'm just not good enough for him? Was that friendliness yesterday just a test, to see if I fit his standards? Was I really not meant for him?_

* * *

**Whoopsies! For those who paid attention really well, I totally messed up on her schedule didn't I? Aah, I switched English and PE! Oh noes! Uh… ignore that, and pretend that it's English first, then PE, right? I'll change the first chapter or whatever so it makes sense, I'm to lazy to rewrite this thing again… Ok pretend I didn't say this whole jumbled up nonsense. This conversation never existed… **


	6. author's note

**Uh… hi? **

**So, after a reeeaaaallly long time of not updating (I'm truly sorry guys!), I finally submitted chapter 4. But… no reviews. Well, except for the truly awesome Sierra Jade Faerie, who "accidentally" reviewed twice. Because she is so awesome, here's a virtual cookie tray full of soft yummy gooey peanut butter chocolate chip virtual cookies, straight out of the virtual oven! And they say I can't cook…**

**Anyways, because of my lack of reviews, I'm not going to submit chapter 5 until I get at least… 5 reviews. That's not asking too much, is it?**

**And even though I'm busy with bunches of stuff, I'll promise to make time to upload more chappies, if I get reviews! I even have chapter 5 all ready to go, I just need five simple reviews… And let's not forget about the yummy virtual cookies as rewards!**

**And before I completely forget, thanks to all of those who reviewed or alerted or anything during my long hiatus, you guys rock! :D**


	7. Chapter 5

**:D You guys rock! Didn't quite get 10 reviews, but close enough. I couldn't wait to update chapter 5! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/faved/alerted etc, cookies to all!**

* * *

Chapter 5

Brian didn't appear at school for the rest of the week.

Some people said he was out sick, while others claimed he was out camping with the rest of his family. I knew better; I knew he was avoiding me.

I began to adjust to life without Brian. After all, I had only met him for one day, so it wasn't too difficult.

I quickly bonded with Faye. We had the same teachers, so we helped each other with homework whenever it didn't make sense to one of us. We laughed and giggled at every opportune moment over silly things. We became the closest of friends.

I completely forgot about Brian.

Then came Monday morning. Ugh. I never liked Mondays, and this morning was already going terribly.

First off, I had overslept. I looked at the clock- which I had somehow forgotten to set the alarm to- and nearly screamed. School would start in a half hour!

I yanked on the first clothes I saw and stumbled out of my room. I threw all my books and notebooks into my backpack.

My stomach growled, and I remembered I needed to have breakfast. In record time, I had checked my blood sugar and given myself my shot, all the while toasting bread. I glanced at the clock.

"Dad!" I yelled. "I need a ride to school!" Thankfully he didn't need to leave for work yet, so transportation was available.

With the piece of toast, I grabbed a cereal bar and ran out the door and into the car.

The ride to school felt incredibly slow, even though we were only five minutes away. Meanwhile, I impatiently nibbled on my toast.

With a quick "love you, bye!", I sprinted towards the school when the car came to a stop.

A glance to the clock told me I had just less than two minutes to get to class. I sprinted faster and started nibbling my cereal bar.

I finally rushed into the room the second the bell rang. I sighed and continued eating my cereal bar.

"Excuse me, dear Michaela, could you spare a pencil? I seem to have forgotten mine."

I looked up to the voice- and nearly choked on my bar. I immediately had a coughing fit.

"Brian?!" I spluttered.

"Who else? Now, uh, do you still have that extra pencil?"

_The nerve! He suddenly appears after disappearing for a week, and pretends nothing happened. And of all people, he asks_ me _for a pencil!_

"Why, no I do not. Why don't you ask someone else?" I snapped.

Unless he gave an explanation of why I shouldn't believe he tried to drop out of high school or move towns in the next ten seconds I was going to have to be a real jerk to him.

"What's wrong, Michaela? You seem cranky. Is your blood sugar okay?" I scowled at him.

"My blood sugar has nothing to do with this. So far my day's going horribly, and you're not helping one bit."

He put his arm around my neck, and I elbowed him in his ribs. He didn't flinch.

"What did I do to make your day worse? And I'm sorry, if it means anything."

I rolled my eyes. "Right. On the first day of school, everything's great. Then you completely flip out at lunch and run away. You disappear for a week, letting me assume you've either dropped out or switched schools because of me. Now you tell me, what's wrong with you?"

He scowled back to me. He opened his mouth to reply, but the teacher interrupted us.

"Michaela, Brian, please take your seats unless you want to owe time after class."

I found an extra pencil in my backpack that was left with barely any eraser and shoved it at him.

"Have your freaking pencil."

We continued glaring at each other until he turned and walked to his seat. I sat down in mine.

The second the bell rang, Brian was out of his seat and out of the room. I made sure I was the last student out.

Since Brian was absent the first week in chemistry, he had to find the seat he was assigned on the second day of school. Which just happened to be two seats away from me. On the first week of school, I would have been thrilled. Now I was contemplating a way to make time go faster.

Unfortunately, we had a lab where we had to work with the partner next to us. My partner was out sick, so I had to put up with Brian.

That went well.

We worked silently and without making eye contact, as independently as possible.

It was a painfully slow lab that required a lot of patience that I didn't have.

Finally, when the bell rang, I felt like jumping for joy. I ran to English, while Brian ran to Spanish.

My next classes were torturous, but not as torturous as it could have been if Brian were in them.

I dragged myself to lunch, where I joined Faye at an otherwise empty table.

"So, is the rumor that a certain Mr. Brian Cullen is back in school?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Then it's confirmed: it's true! So, what's the story?"

"I don't know, but he's acting like nothing happened, like he wasn't gone for a week, and like he totally didn't freak out on me when I checked my blood sugar."

"So, like he still likes you. I guess that's good, am I right?"

I sighed. "That's the problem: I don't know. I guess it should be, but I just can't forget about his behavior. I kind of overreacted in Algebra 2 when I saw him. I just kinda flipped, and asked what his problem was. It went downhill from there."

Faye laughed; I looked at her in shock.

"Girl, don't be hard on yourself. After a week, he still went to you. You must be something special, 'cuz he's usually long gone with the other girls after a week. Ooh," she giggled, "speaking of whom. And look, he looks like he wants to take part in a friendly chat, instead of tearing out your throat."

I groaned and buried my head in my arms.

"Hello girls, mind if I join you?" Despite my growling and dark glares, he still sat down next us.

"Fancy meeting you here, Faye. It's disappointing not having any classes together this year, after having PE and Spanish last year."

Even though I had more classes with him, I still felt a pang of jealousy. I ignored it.

I took out my kit so I could start eating. This time I didn't care if Brian ran or not. I picked my left ring finger (my finger of choice), and pressed the poker against it.

I was about to push the button when Brian suddenly gripped my wrist. I winced and looked at him to ask what his problem was. His harsh glare faded to an almost pleading look.

"Can't you do that... Another time?"

"What is your problem, Brian? Can't you just, look away or hold your breath or something?"

"It's not that... simple. Can't you just, please?"

I sighed, and put the poker back into the kit.

"Fine, but if my blood sugar gets all weird, it's your fault. I guess I can just check it before Spanish starts."

He smiled at me, then looked at Faye. She clearly looked like she was in the middle of an argument, and it was really awkward for her.

"Uh, I think I'm gonna get a smoothie or something. Be right back," she said, getting up.

I looked shocked and pleadingly at her, but she looked back apologetically. Brian chuckled.

"Now that we're alone," I glared at him. He ignored it. "Maybe we should forget everything happened. It's the first day of school, and lunch never happened," he murmured softly.

I randomly noticed his eyes looked more brownish now then I remembered. I figured it was probably just the lighting in the cafeteria, or the lack thereof.

I glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." He grinned at me.

He removed a pencil and a piece of paper from his backpack. I watched with a shock as I realized what he was doing.

He drew a nice big heart, and added two letters to the heart. He then handed the pencil to me.

"I think you do."

I gasped. I took the pencil, and slowly made two small cross marks between the letters, almost against my will.

I stared at my hand, then the paper. What in the world possessed me...?

He leaned over, and kissed me softly on my forehead.

"I knew you'd remember," he whispered. "See you in Social Studies," and then he was gone.

I blinked, dazed and confused as Faye walked up sipping a berry smoothie through a neon yellow bendy straw.

"You look like... I don't even know how to describe your look. Maybe like... no, words don't even fit. Wait, are you blushing? Oh my gosh you are! I'm gonna go on a crazy limb, and say he kissed you. Am I right?"

I looked at her, still dazed, and slowly nodded.

Faye gasped. "Michaela, you lucky girl! Don't you see what that means? He's totally all yours! He's asked out practically half the girls, and apparently none of them deserved a kiss except you! That's huge!"

"Faye! It's no big deal. It's nothing, so stop making it sound like it should be on the newspaper headlines."

"Look, all I'm saying is that something makes you different than over half the girls in this school in his eyes." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, sorry to suddenly ditch you Michaela, but I gotta get to Algebra 2 early so I can finish the homework."

"That's fine. By the way, there's a pop quiz on chapter 1, just forewarning."

"Thanks!" she yelled as she ran off.

I sighed and shook my head to clear my mind.

Something caught my attention. I looked at the second door and saw Brian staring at me. The bell rang, and he winked at me before disappearing with the crowd.


	8. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the uh, hiatus... Editing this took way too long... But thanks still for the faves, alerts, everything... virtual cookies! melty gooey chocolate chip peanut butter virtual cookies... Oh and hot chocolate for if you guys have cold weather! I know we've had it, I've had no school this week! Except for today, but they cancelled mid-day anyways... snow day!**

**And I probly won't update till next year... (jk, sometime in January, that's the new year...) I'm going to California (San Diego area) for winter break! So until then, have a happy holidays/ happy new year and stay warm! :D**

* * *

Chapter 6

"So, I heard Brian's back. You guys a couple now? I heard you two were all over each other at lunch."

"Shut up and go away Tyler..."

"Aw, come on. Isn't teenage love great?"

"Don't you have a girlfriend, so you can leave me alone?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't. None seem to beat you, so if whatshisface ever ditches you again..."

"I said shut up, Tyler. Bell's about to ring, so I'd get to your seat if I were you."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered, but he still walked away.

I breathed a sigh of relief as class started, then quickly finished.

I ignored Tyler the best I could as he stalked me during the passing time.

I opened the Social Studies door and jumped back as Brian was suddenly there. He gently kissed be on the cheek and smiled. I grimaced.

"Brian, would you not..."

"Does it bother you that I show my affections towards you?"

"You seem to think I should accept your affections without questioning your change in behavior and choice in showing yourself at this school after a week."

He frowned, then sighed. "Michaela, it wasn't my choice to go away. If I could have, I would have never missed the chance to see you."

"Aw, how sweet," I commented sarcastically.

"Michaela, that's the truth. I wouldn't lie to you."

"How do I know that's not a lie? Then tell me: why did you freak out at lunch? Why did you go away then, and where to?"

He frowned. "I'm not going to lie, but I can't tell you now."

"Why not? What is so secret that you can't tell me?"

"Not now. Maybe sometime I'll be able to tell you. But now? No." At that, he calmly walked to his seat.

I scowled at him, then sullenly sat down and waited for the bell to ring so I could go home. I still needed to check my blood sugar, and it felt like it was running high. I was thirsty and had a slight headache, both signs of high blood sugar.

I strategized a plan to get a water bottle from a vending machine before the buses left. A tricky task, but possible nevertheless if I hurried.

I patiently waited for the bell to ring, and the second it did, I was off. I rushed towards the closest vending machine and yanked out my wallet. I suddenly realized this vending machine only had sodas.

_Great, that won't help my blood sugar much…_

I found the next closest machine, which thankfully had water. I fed it my wrinkly dollar bill. The machine spit it back out, rejected. I fought the urge to punch it. _Remember, punching inanimate objects is not a good thing..._

I pulled another bill out of my worn wallet and straightened it out. I slowly fed the machine again, and it calmly told me to pick a beverage. B7: Aquafina water.

I impatiently watched as the bottled water wildly clung to the bottle behind it before falling, and I quickly retrieved it from the box.

I weaved through the thinning crowd of mostly juniors and seniors, with a few freshmen here and there. I rushed out the front door, just to watch the buses slowly putter away.

I groaned, remembering that it was indeed, Monday. Of course.

[Brian's POV]

I watched in wonder as Michaela literally leapt out of her chair and out the door. Of course I could still be faster, but not with all these people watching. That could give people ideas.

I followed the majority of the student population to the parking lot.

I looked like a young driver, just barely old enough to have the license. However, I had more experience than any student, and most teachers. Well, maybe except for old Ms. Franklin. She's just a plain old dinosaur- ancient with a bad temper. It didn't help that she was too stubborn to retire either.

I slid into my prized 2006 Corvette Coupe, a gift from Carlisle, while other students had cheap hand-down cars or huge trucks covered in cliché bumper stickers.

I slowly crawled out of the parking lot, watching students stare after me.

I paused to watch the buses fill with students, remembering my freshman year.

Sure, the classes were so easy they were boring, but the way of transportation was a different story. I refused to sit in the over packed bus with all those humans, but what freshman had a driver's license? Some days I walked to school, others Esme or one of my siblings offered to drive me.

I scanned the crowd of students, then recognized Michaela. She was pacing back and forth, staring at her cell phone in the palm of her hand.

The buses were already gone. What was she still doing? She had an anxious look on her face.

I told myself that I shouldn't worry about her, that she probably had a good reason to be waiting outside. The longer I watched her though, the more I knew she didn't mean to be out there.

I pulled up to the curb next to where she stood and unrolled the window.

"Michaela!" She looked up and blinked in surprise.

"Brian? What are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you ride the bus?" She grimaced, and looked at her phone again.

"All right, I missed it. I was going to walk home, the weather doesn't look that great."

"Then get in. I can totally take you."

"Eh, I don't know. I was about to call my dad to come pick me up anyways."

I rolled my eyes and leaned over to open the passenger door. "Michaela, just get in. I'm in no hurry. I'll take you home, and it saves your dad a trip."

She looked slightly unconvinced, but she still got in.

"Thanks."

"No problem, any time," I said, flashing her a quick smile.

She looked around, examining the smooth black leather seats and the spotless shiny dashboard, looking at every detail inside.

"It's very...nice."

"Thanks. Gift from Carlisle, my dad."

"He must be really good to you."

I smiled. "He's the greatest father I could ask for. I'm very lucky to have him."

Silence followed. Michaela took a sip from the water bottle she was holding.

"So, directions?"

"Hmm? Oh, right. Just keep going, and take a left at the second light."

I continued following her step-by-step directions, gaining speed whenever I could. She finally noticed.

"Jeez, I didn't realize you were going so fast."

"Sorry, I'll slow down some. Just can't resist going fast, you know?" I immediately eased on the speed a bit.

"I mean, it's fine. I'm used to going fast. It's just that not a lot of people have the guts to go this fast other than my dad."

I chuckled and looked over at Michaela. She was peacefully looking out the window, pausing to take another drink of water.

"Oh, take a right over there, and it's the fourth house down."

I nodded and did as she said.

I soon came to a stop in front of a two-story white house with a dark grey trim. Small, untrimmed bushes bordered a thin walkway.

"Thanks for the ride, Brian."

"No problem, Michaela. I'm always there if you need something."

"Hey... Brian? Do you want to come in? Seriously, it's fine. Dad won't come home until five o'clock."

"I really shouldn't," I politely refused.

"Aw, come on. You said yourself you had time. We can just talk."

I sighed and grinned. "Fine, I give up."

I followed her down the path and watched as she unlocked the door.

She opened the door, and a small, calico cat shot out. It paused to hiss at me, then continued running towards a neighbor's lawn.

"That's Sammy," Michaela laughed. "She loves going outside. She's normally nice to people though."

We continued inside. There were boxes stacked in corners with thin layers of dust on them. Paintings weren't hanging on the walls, but rather leaning against them. I silently laughed, thinking how Esme would react if she saw this mess of a house.

"Ugh, you'll have to excuse the mess. We still haven't unpacked everything yet."

We finally made way to the living room, where we sat on a brown leather couch.

Silence passed for a few moments.

Michaela looked at the green clock on the wall and jumped up.

"Oh, I almost forgot my snack! By the way, you hungry?"

I shook my head. "No, but will you need to check your blood sugar again?"

"No, normally I don't check it for snacks. Well, wait... I still haven't checked my blood for lunch, so I might as well check it now."

I grimaced. "Uh, do you mind if I go out back while you do?" I pointed to the sliding glass door behind us.

Michaela frowned, but shrugged. "I, guess..." But I knew she did mind, and didn't want me to disappear again.

I apologetically smiled, and disappeared out the door. I shut it as tight as I could, and hoped it would be enough.

It was a nice deck, with a large cover, providing much needed shade.

I reminded myself that I hadn't told anyone that I would arrive at home later than usual. I doubted it would cause concerns, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I sent a quick text message to Carlisle.

_Carlisle, I'm at Michaela's house. I'll be home later. Of course, Alice probably already told you. I'll see you then. Brian._

I took in my surroundings; it was just as messy as the indoors.

More boxes were stacked, some labeled "papers" while others had "fragiles" markered across with red sharpie. A lawn mower was propped against a maple tree, while potted flowers of different sizes and colors lined the edge of the deck.

The door slid open, and I turned to see Michaela, a peanut butter granola bar in one hand, a glass of water in the other.

She silently sat down in a chair next to mine and sighed.

"My blood sugar's high. 248,"she murmured.

I looked at my phone, then stuffed it back in my jean pockets. "Sorry."

She smiled at me to say I was forgiven, and I grinned back.

To avoid upcoming awkward silences, I asked the first thing that came to mind.

"So… What all did I miss while I was absent?" I knew all the assignments I needed to make up- I already completed nearly all of them, but I was curious to see what Michaela went through the past week.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, a week's worth of homework in practically every class… Um, a quiz in chemistry and Algebra 2. Oh, and I don't know if your English class is doing it, but we're doing an essay-project type thing that's due next week."

An essay in English? I hadn't heard anything about that; perhaps it was only in her class.

"What's the essay about?" I inquired.

"Well, my teacher gave everyone a certain topic, and we have to write an essay about everything you know about that topic in under five pages."

"And your topic is…?"

She shrugged. "Mythological creatures. Honestly, I don't know why I was given such a broad topic; it'd be hard to write _less _than five pages if you know what I mean. There's just so many… Mermaids, fairies, dragons, unicorns, vampires…" she counted off on her fingers.

How ironic. Mythological creatures. Of course, not all of them are truly mythological…

"So, you're going to write about every creature you know and try to squeeze it in under five pages? That would be like a paragraph or less a creature, not leaving a whole bunch of space for detail…"

She seemed to consider this, looking deep in thought.

"True… And I thought about it, so I'm probably just going to write about the ones that I like more, like the fairies, unicorns and the dragons. Then I'll be able to write more detail."

"What, no vampires? Or are those too scary for you?" I teased. She stuck her tongue out in response.

"No, it's just that I thought it would be easier to write about things I enjoy more. The pretty things, not the creepy, bloodthirsty, immortal-yet-can-be-killed-by-being-stabbed-with-a-stick things, ew no. Sure, the guys just love anything that involves blood and or gore, but not me."

I somehow managed to keep a somewhat straight face, but had to cough to disguise an escaped chuckle. Oh, what little she knew…

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but all with a smile on her face. She looked up, and our smiles met. Our eyes locked gazes, and we stood motionless for what seemed like a perpetual amount of time. Neither one of us could unlock our eye contact.

Michaela blinked, then frowned. She continued to concentrate, but now it felt like she was scrutinizing my features, as if searching for something.

"Your eyes…" she murmured.

I immediately traced my mind for the last day I hunted.

"Your eyes," she continued, "are… brown."

Oh. As opposed to the bright golden-caramel color of a recent hunt.

"Yes," I agreed calmly, "my eyes have always been brown."

Michaela scowled at me. "They weren't this brown before. They were lighter, brighter. A golden color, not brown. And it isn't just because of the lighting."

I returned her scowl. I mentally kicked myself for letting her notice.

She looked back into my eyes, her scowl melted into an inquiring, wondering look. I stood up and started towards the door.

"Brian? What... What are you doing?"

I continued through the maze of boxes towards the front door. "I told Carlisle I would be home soon. I'd hate to worry him," I replied flatly.

I opened the door and stepped outside. Michaela ran up to me and grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"Brian, tell me. Just don't leave me. Please." I shook my head and tugged my wrist free from her grip.

"I... I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm, different. I'm not like you, not like anyone you've ever met." I was about to continue, but I shut myself. "I've said too much now..." I scolded myself.

I walked towards my car, not looking back. When I got inside and started the engine, I looked back at her. Michaela stood on the doorstep and met my eyes with a hurt, confused expression. A single tear dotted the corner of her eye.

I winced, and drove away as fast as I could.

* * *

**'s not letting me put the link for Brian's Corvette, so you'll have to check out my profile for it. :)**

**Happy Holidays and happy New Years you guys! :D**


	9. Chapter 7

**Surprise! :D **

**I finally finished this chapter, and updated it in time for the new year! woot!~**

**Read, enjoy, review please! oh, and Happy New Year! :D**

* * *

VII

I watched Brian drive off. I stood there with the door open until a chilly breeze made me shiver. I was about to slam the door when I caught sight of Sammy. She came running up and rubbed my ankle with a purr.

I picked her up and cooed her name. I walked up to my room and set her on my bed, where she curled up on my pillow.

I pondered over Brian's words. What exactly had he meant? "I'm different, not like you." So? That made me the same, different from him with my diabetes. Or was he also diabetic? I shook my head. No, too many pieces were missing to fit. Did he have some hard-to believe condition?

I stopped my mind from wandering when I started coming up with make-believe imaginary curses that couldn't possibly exist.

To clear my mind, I put on my black metallic earphones and turned on my scratched pink iPod. It had suffered through many wounds from camping, long boring car rides or most commonly, falling through my sloppy unstable grip.

I shuffled through Kelly Clarkson, AC/DC, Evanescence, and even The Go-Go's, before settling on a song by AFI.

I thought about procrastinating on my homework until after my dad got home from work, but seeing my backpack in the corner, it seemed to glare at me with fierce invisible eyes. Even Sammy seemed to stare at me.

I surrendered to the textbooks.

I did about five Algebra 2 problems, then gave up and switched to Social Studies. I took one blank look at it- I had to make sure it wasn't my Spanish homework instead, because I could have sworn it was in some foreign language- and immediately shut the book and tossed it in my backpack. I sullenly worked on my chemistry- fifty review questions for the upcoming test next week. Easy, but tedious.

I yawned, and Sammy meowed at the break of silence. I leaned over to pet her, and suddenly felt like taking a nap. I decided to listen to something that would prevent me from doing so. I shuffled through more songs, turned to Sweet Dreams are Made of This by Eurythmics, and immediately felt a bit perkier.

"Sweet dreams are made of these, who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas- everybody's looking for something…"

I continued to sing quietly to myself until Sammy jumped and hid under my bed.

I scowled at her.

"I'm not _that_ bad, jeez! You're worse than Simon Cowell you know that?" I accused.

I tried to find some excuse not to do my homework. I really wasn't in the mood.

I stalked downstairs to the refrigerator. I already had my snack earlier, and it was too early to eat dinner, so I looked for something relatively carb-free. I rummaged behind the leftovers from a couple days ago and found a mozzarella string cheese and a can of Diet 7-Up.

I sipped my soda in silence. It was suddenly so quiet without the TV blaring and the computer humming in the office, all with my dad talking on the phone with some friend of his.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and snapped out of my thoughts. It was a text from Faye.

_Wuts up? Was that u getting in Brians car earlier?_

I quickly typed out a response.

_Ya, missed the bus. He took me home. End of story, no big deal._

I waited no more than thirty seconds for a reply.

_Right… I gtg, but I expect a full report tomorrow, no missing detail!_

I grinned and rolled my eyes.

I heard my father's silver Mustang roll into the driveway. People always marveled at how impressive it looked, but truthfully, there was always at least one thing wrong with it each month or so. This time, the passenger door could only be unlocked manually from the inside. It was a pain.

The door slammed open and I turned to see Dad walk through the door.

"Uh, Dad? What's wrong, you're home an hour early!"

"How's my girl? Boss let me go early; I have a party to go to. Did I tell you about that?"

I shook my head no, but was not surprised. My dad had troubles with prioritizing (which is where I inherited _that_ problem), and often forgot to tell me things in advance.

"Oh, well you remember my friend Rick?" Again, I shook my head. "Oh. Well he's been my friend since high school days. Anyways, today's his birthday and he's having a huge barbeque dinner. You want to come? He's a great chef," he begged.

"It sounds great, but I have a bunch of homework, and we already have a huge project worth a quarter of our grade in chemistry." So, we didn't exactly have a huge project. I hated to lie, but the party just didn't sound like fun. I wasn't fond of barbeques or get-togethers, especially if everyone wanted to talk about random topics like school and books and stuff. Ugh.

He nodded. "Fine, just don't go to bed too late, and get your stuff done, I trust you."

I returned the nod. "Dad, don't worry. I know how to take care of myself," I reassured him. He smiled back.

"I know that, just remember it's your fault if you stay up so late you're incoherent the next morning." I rolled my eyes.

"Just go and have fun," I laughed.

He hugged me, made sure he didn't forget anything- I handed him his keys- and walked back outside.

When I heard the door click shut, I sighed at the returning silence.

I absentmindedly wondered what Brian was doing now. Doing his homework? Doing something fun with his siblings? I had a sudden desire to meet them.

I looked at the clock- 5:12. I'd have to eat in about fifteen minutes. Until then, I decided I would finish my homework.

I went upstairs to fetch my backpack. After I grabbed my Algebra 2 book and notebook, I suddenly remembered I had forgotten my TI-83 graphing calculator in the math classroom.

"Well that'll make things difficult," I muttered to myself. I finished all the problems I could without the calculator, then decided to go online to find a website with a graphing calculator I could use.

I was finally able to finish the remaining questions, but before I knew it, I was checking my email and distracting myself on the web. When I finally looked at the clock, it read 6:18. I groaned.

I sprinted to the kitchen and found my kit. I nervously checked my blood. The number read 82; not quite low, but heading that direction.

I quickly gave myself my shot while microwaving the leftovers I found. They looked something like spaghetti, but tasted just as good.

After I ate, I resumed my homework. I kept a closer eye on the clock.

When 7:30 rolled around, I took another shot for my snack. Draw up insulin, pinch the sin, insert the needle- ow, press the plunger, take it out. Meal after meal, snack after snack, day by day.

I searched the fridge for a small snack, but paused my hunt when I felt my phone buzz once again. I retrieved my scratched blue flip phone and looked at the caller ID. It was my mother calling.

I took a deep breath and pressed the green button to answer. The last time I talked to her was the day I left with my dad, nearly two months ago.

"Hi Mom!" I said as I applied as much cheeriness as I could to my voice.

"Michaela, it's been so long, I miss you"

I sighed. "I miss you too, but I've been busy with school, my diabetes,_ my life_…"

"Speaking of diabetes, I assume you've been taking good care of your blood sugar?"

"Yes Mom, I can take care of myself. It's.. been high sometimes, low sometimes, but I think I'm still just adjusting to the school schedule."

"Are you remembering all your shots, snacks, checking your blood every time you eat?"

"Mom! I told you, I can take care of myself. I'm fine." I didn't want to tell her about my late dinner and latest blood sugar levels. Thankfully, she didn't ask.

She ventured into as many topics as she could think of, like school and friends, where I replied with appropriate responses. The she asked if I had a boyfriend.

"Mo-om!" She's asked that same question nearly every day after school last year. Back when I was anti-boy and anti-dating.

"Sorry honey, just curious," she softly laughed. "I guess it's same old, same old."

I pursed my lips together so I wouldn't spill about Brian. The second I'd tell her about him, she'd never hang up. To distract her from venturing further into the topic, I asked her how life was back in Shelton. Her response was quick and short, with a simple "fine". A few seconds later, I heard a sigh, breaking the awkward silence between us.

"I'm sorry Michaela; you probably still have homework to do. I should have thought before calling you at this time, I apologize."

I wanted to reassure her, to tell her that it wasn't her fault, but I couldn't find my voice.

"Bye sweety, I love you." She hung up before I could respond.

I stared at my phone as it flashed the conversation length. Nearly fifteen minutes of yet another attempt at an unsuccessful conversation with my mother. I simply could not communicate with her without it somehow ending up badly.

I sighed and slammed the phone at the couch. I then collapsed on the couch, reviewing the conversation in my mind. What did I say wrong? Well, I didn't tell her about Brian, something I definitely did not regret. She would have pounced and tried to extract anything and everything I knew about him the second I said "yes".

Which made me think further, was he my boyfriend?

It wasn't official- we weren't _dating_, but it did feel more than just a simple friendship.

The more I thought about it the more I imagined his face, smiling at me with those sparkling golden eyes…

I blinked, and his smile faded and his gold eyes darkened to a deep brown, just shades from black.

I gasped, and shook the glaring image from my head. I looked for something to distract me from his menacing dark look. I turned to the computer in my room, always a successful distraction from anything.

First, I signed into instant messenger to see if Faye was online. IMing with her was guaranteed the best thing to keep my mind off anything.

I searched through long-lost contacts; some I haven't spoken to since fourth grade, but Faye was not among the online members.

I sighed, but then surfed the internet. After all, my motto was "if all else fails, go online". Okay, maybe it wasn't, but it sounded cool and true, right?

After a few minutes however, I became bored and grew tired.

I threw myself on my bed and stared at my off-white ceiling. My eyes focused on the light cover, filled with tiny black shapes. Gross, dead bugs.

I absentmindedly thought of the story of Icarus, the Greek guy who flew too close to the sun with his wax wings and died or whatever. The little Icaruses who flew too close to the attractive bright light bulb, ending their tiny lives because of their desires.

I sat up and shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

"Whoa, what in the _world_ is my blood sugar? I really should check," I said to myself. Usually when I started thinking or talking absolute nonsense, it meant my blood sugar was not right. But then again, I've said some seriously random things with a perfect blood sugar too.

I thought of where I had placed my kit last. _Let's see, down in the kitchen where I was looking for something to eat…_

Something to eat. Crud. I gave myself the insulin to cover my snack, but had never eaten.

Which would explain my nonsense, and my slightly shaky hands I now noticed.

As I shuffled down the creaky stairs, I became more aware of my low blood sugar symptoms. Slight dizziness, shakiness, incoherent-ness, hunger…

I finally located the black zipper pouch, and opened it to test my blood sugar. After pricking my finger and letting the strip suck in the dot of blood, the number 57 flashed on the screen. Definitely low.

I groaned. How could I forget my snack, but remember my insulin shot? How stupid of me! Sure, it was a simple mistake, but with diabetes, a simple mistake could mean death.

I rummaged in the fridge- behind the salsa and next to the barbeque sauce- I found a single fruit punch Juicy Juice pouch lying on its side.

I scoured for more juices reserved for future low blood sugars, but sighed when none showed up. I'd have to remember to add it to the grocery list.

I stabbed the tiny silver film displaying the words "insert straw here" with the plastic yellow straw. I then sucked the juice dry, savoring the sweetness of the sugary juice.

I heard a light jingling noise. I immediately knew it was the tiny little bell on Sammy's collar, and I pictured her delicate white paws bounding down the stairs.

She greeted me with a chipper meow and rubbed against my ankles. As I bent down to pick her up, I noticed her golden eyes.

I always knew her eyes were that way, light ochre with an orange tint to the edges. I just now realized they were nearly the exact shade as Brian's eyes. "My eyes have always been brown," he had said. I knew he was lying, but why?

I cuddled Sammy in my arms, and she purred contentedly. I carried her up the stairs and to my room, where I dumped her on my bed. She squeaked in protest.

"Sammy, it's time for bed," I told her and myself. I thought about tomorrow, yet another school day that would no doubt drag on forever. However, I would see Brian. I smiled at the thought.

"The sooner I fall asleep, the sooner tomorrow comes and I'll be able to see him," I reassured myself, and I closed my eyes with a smile on my face.

* * *

**That wasn't exactly my favorite chapter, I'm sorry... And it'll take a bit longer for next chapter, but I promise it will be more exciting! Just be patient, and I'll work on it! :)**


	10. Chapter 8

**zomg I'm alive. :o I apologize for the unexplained hiatus, the last chapter, everything. I'm sorry. :( cookies for forgiveness?**

** To make it up, here's a long, exciting chapter. R+R plz and thanks, and enjoy!** ^^

* * *

I shook the rain out of my hair as I stepped off the bus. I was immediately greeted by a very… dazzling… Brian. He had sparkling eyes and a wide grin on his face. I couldn't help but smile back, but was curious if he even remembered our fight yesterday.

"My, somebody's happy this morning." Brian chuckled in response, his golden eyes brightening even more.

"I couldn't wait to see you, and now you're here. What could make me happier than to see your beautiful face again?"

I grimaced and rolled my eyes. Me, beautiful? Ha. Compared to the model-perfect cheerleaders and student council, I was more like an ugly troll. He held my hands in his and stared at me. I looked away until our noses were nearly touching. I finally gave up and looked into his gorgeous golden eyes.

"Michaela. Yu are the most beautiful thing my eyes have set upon, and don't you forget it." I wanted to argue, but my lips wouldn't move. I was lost in his eyes. "I look at all the other girls," he continued with soft fierceness, "and they're all the same. You're the first to stand out to me, to be someone other than everyone else. That's why I love you Michaela."

I had enough time to blink in astonishment before his lips made contact with mine.

His lips were frigid cold, yet so warm. They created an electrifying jolt that rendered me absolutely breathless. The kiss was so soft, almost as if our lips were barely touching, but it held such power like he didn't want to let go. Endless passion.

After an eternity, his lips softly released themselves from the powerful embrace. I blinked my eyes open, not aware that they were closed, and stared into his eyes. He stared back into mine. I barely breathed, afraid to ruin the moment with the smallest thing.

"Michaela will you," he breathed, his eyes boring into mine, "will you be my girlfriend? I love you Michaela, I really do."

I caught my breath as if something short-circuited in my brain. "Yes" I breathed back.

Well that was easier than I expected.

Had I really said the three-letter word? I originally never intended to date during high school. I learned from watching nearly every relationship crumble to dust that boys and relationships were no good. But something in Brian's eyes told me that he wouldn't let anything happen. And I believed him.

Time probably would have frozen if the warning bell hadn't rang. However, I didn't move. I was afraid I was going to collapse if Brian let go of me, and I had the idea that Brian was thinking the same thing. He kissed the bridge of my nose softly.

"Michaela, honey, we're going to have to go to class. Wouldn't want a tardy on your permanent record, now would we?" he said with a perfect, teasing smile. I could only smile back.

He slipped his hand around my waist as we walked to Algebra 2. I suddenly stopped, realizing something. Brian looked at me questioningly.

"That was my first kiss…" I mused. Brian smiled and visibly relaxed. "And what did you think of your first kiss?"

"It was…" I searched for the right word, "I don't think I could've gotten a more amazing kiss."

He chuckled- such a comforting, joyous laugh.

"We'll have to see about that."

The lecture about logarithms was actually a relief for me. I eagerly took notes, thankful for something to keep my mind off the kiss. I looked up from my scribbles of notes, and caught Brian's eyes, two seats away. He smiled, and I blushed furiously.

While a dark-haired girl three seats ahead of me complained that she didn't get the graphing part, my mind slipped and ventured towards Brian.

I wish I could understand him more, I thought. One moment he loves me, next he hates my guts, then he avoids me like the plague, but then he asks me to be his girlfriend! A second voice argued, _isn't that what you want, to be with him? So shut up and go with it if you want it to last_!

I agreed with my second voice, and then patiently waited for the bell to ring.

I jumped out of my seat the second the lunch bell rang. I skid down the halls, weaving through the crowds of students, and finally to the spot Brian and I agreed on as our meeting place. A lone bench, seated between a Gatorade and an ice-cream vending machine, tucked in the middle of the science hallway- a place where students never dared to roam during lunch.

As I took out my squished sandwich and granola bar from my backpack, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Expecting Brian, I looked up with my brightest smile. I then frowned, facing Tyler instead. Thankfully, I spotted Brian strolling in my direction, also frowning at the sight of Tyler. I waved to him excitedly. Tyler looked back at Brian, then muttered "lucky break" before retreating. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, if he's really a nuisance, all you need to do is tell me, and I'll take care of him." I smiled.

"Thanks, but he didn't have time to do anything before you showed up. My hero." He planted a light kiss on the bridge of my nose. "Anything for you, my princess."

I blushed and nestled against his shoulder. I could have stayed there had my stomach not growled. My face turned a darker shade of red.

Guilt started nibbling on me the way I nibbled my sandwich. Why did he never eat when I did? I felt like such a pig.

"Not hungry?" I murmured. Brian frowned, sensing my guilt. "Shouldn't you be checking your blood sugar?"

I shook my head. "I left my kit at home. I remembered you don't like blood, so I'm trying to avoid the… situation." He scowled at me, clearly disapproving.

"Relax, I'm going to check it when I get home," I said defensively. "Skipping one blood check won't kill me." He sighed. "If we weren't talking about your health, I'd believe you more."

His scowl softened a bit, and I was suddenly feeling guilty again. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it until I get home, so just forget it."

There was an awkward silence. I remembered I hadn't finished translating my Spanish homework. It was due next period. I wasn't worried though; it was really easy.

"This is stupid. Muy tonto…" I muttered after I finished translating. Brian looked over.

"Oh, those Spanish stories we always have to translate?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. They're so pointless and stupid."

He chuckled lightly, and I smiled at the sound.

"So," I asked curiously, "six siblings, huh?" Being an only child, I couldn't imagine sharing a house with eight other people.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Except Rosalie… But you could say that it's never boring at home."

He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by the bell. I sighed in frustration.

"I don't want to stop this conversation," I pouted. "I still have a lot to learn about you." He smiled and kissed me on my forehead. "And I still have yet to learn more about you, Michaela dear. Sometime we will. Sometime."

I walked off to the Spanish classroom with burning curiosity and slight hope that I might eventually learn Brian's secrets. I was almost at the door when I heard someone call my name. I looked back at the source of the voice, none other than Tyler.

"Michaela! Hey, Mickey! Can I call you Mickey? I'm gonna call you Mickey." I groaned and pressed my hand across my forehead. "What the heck, no…" but he had already walked into the classroom, whistling cheerfully. _It was a wonder that I didn't get headaches every day after lunch._

I spent the entire period with my head on my desk. I tried to think of Brian instead of Tyler's annoyances.

I took my time leaving after the bell rang. I was hoping Tyler could leave before me so I wouldn't have to deal with him, but of course, Tyler had other ideas. He loyally waited by my desk while I slowly gathered my notebook and pencils. He continued to escort me to our next classes, much to my dismay.

I heard him talking to me, but I didn't pay attention to the words. Even though I stopped listening, he persistently kept babbling on and on.

We arrived at the door to my Social Studies classroom first, as his class was just down the hall. I reached for the door to escape Tyler, but he gripped my hand and pulled me back.

"Come on, gimme a hug before we go to class!" And before I could even say anything he pulled me into a tight embrace. I let out a small squeak as I was caught by surprise by his hug. I finally realized what exactly was going on and shoved him away. I turned around and caught sight of a very angry Brian.

"Tyler, what do you _think_ you are doing?!" Tyler unlocked his grip on me and sneered at Brian. Brian had a look that could kill.

"What, you're still with this chick?"

And Brian _roared_ and launched himself at Tyler, pressing him into the wall. His bared teeth were just inches from Tyler's face. "Don't you _ever_ talk that way about Michaela," he hissed. "Don't you dare touch her again."

All I could do was just stand here frozen. I was vaguely aware of other students stopping and watching, some chanting "fight!" at the sight of a sophomore fighting a senior. Brian just stood there growling and glaring, holding Tyler by the collar of his shirt. Tyler frowned, then grinned in a way that ran a shiver down my spine. "Wanna bet?" he whispered.

Brian drew back his arm, and as if in slow motion, I watched in horror as his tightly-clenched fist made contact with the left side of Tyler's face. I sucked in a quick breath, watching as blood started dripping from Tyler's mouth. Brian suddenly threw Tyler to the ground and shoved his way through the cheering crowd. I nervously followed.

I found Brian sagged against a soda machine, hands pressed against his face. He would have been perfectly still, had his hands not been shaking uncontrollably. I heard Tyler yelling and cussing in the background.

"Brian," I said softly. "Why did you do that? You didn't-"

"I had to, Michaela. He was harassing you and… You don't know him, but he's known for messing with the underclassmen girls. Last year it was the freshman. He'd usually pick one girl, his 'prey' if you will, stick with her until she tattles, then it starts all over again. He prefers the quiet, shy girls. That is why, Michaela. That is why I had to do that."

I sank down to my knees next to him, stunned into silence. The bell rang, but neither of us moved an inch. I finally wrapped my arms around his neck in a light hug. "Thank you," I whispered softly.

Brian sighed and slowly lowered his hands from his face. His eyes looked empty, hollow.

"I almost went too far," he murmured. "I almost lost control, and I was so… close to killing him. You were the only thing stopping me, Michaela. When I saw him and you… I just lost it."

I sat there at a loss of words. "Well… you didn't. And I'm glad you didn't. But still, you're going to get in trouble, and we're already late to class." He twirled his finger around a strand of my hair and chuckled lightly.

"Michaela, if anyone gets in trouble, it will be Tyler. Don't ever worry about me." He smiled. It didn't make me any more convinced.

Footsteps approached us, and we looked up at a short, strict-looking woman with gray hair pulled into a tight bun. I recognized her as the mean vice principal. She didn't look too terribly happy- her bright red lips were pursed together in a disappointed frown.

"Mr. Cullen, I need to speak to you in my office. Miss Davidson," she addressed me, "you may return to your classroom at once." At that she spun around on her heels and marched away, her stiletto shoes clicking against the ground. Brian followed.

I watched him disappear down the stairs and around the corner before standing up to enter the classroom. I ignored the teacher's glare as I gloomily sat down at my desk. I could only imagine Brian getting detention, suspension, or what I feared most, expulsion. I shook the thoughts from my head and focused on listening to the lecture. I kept stealing glances at the clock, and watched every person pass by the open door.

Then, a half hour later, Brian walked in looking as calm and collected as ever. He handed his pink excuse note to the teacher and headed towards his seat next to me. He didn't look me in the eye.

Dying of curiosity, I scribbled a note asking what happened. When the teacher was facing the board, I passed it to Brian. He passed it back, and it read "Tyler was suspended for the rest of the week". "What about you?" I scribbled in reply. I got it back, and I exhaled in relief. "Only a warning" was written neatly below my last response.

We traded victorious smiles then returned to our notes. I reminded myself to lecture him later about his "warning".

Class ended, then eventually the school day. As I waited on the bus for my stop, I realized I had a headache. I figured a short nap after I eat my snack would help.

When I arrived home, I pet Sammy, who rubbed against my ankles passionately, grabbed a bag of Goldfish and a glass of milk, and said "hi" to my dad. He was seated at his computer, switching between work and Facebook. I sighed. Whenever he worked on his computer, it meant he would usually stay holed up in the office and I would have to make dinner myself. I was not too fond of cooking.

I sighed and lied down on the couch. I set an alarm on my phone for 5:30, so I could check my blood and eat dinner.

I did not rest well. I spent what felt like an hour tossing and turning- not awake but not yet asleep- until I finally fell into a slumber. My phone interrupted my dreams to buzz me awake. Without thinking I pressed the snooze button on the alarm for ten more minutes of rest.

I finally convinced myself to get up off the couch when the clock read 6:00.

I trudged over to the fridge and cupboards and looked at its contents. I blinked sleepily.

After glancing at the contents, I decided on a can of soup and a slice of bread. Nice and simple, not to mention easy to make.

I microwaved the soup while I went to my room to retrieve my kit. It sat on my nightstand, where it hadn't been touched since breakfast. _Oops_, I thought.

I checked my blood. The meter read 223- high, but not too terribly high.

I prepared my shot for my meal. I would normally give extra insulin to correct high blood sugar, but I decided it wasn't high enough to correct this time. I reassured myself that it would probably gradually lower to a better number.

I gave myself my shot, ate my meal, and tried to work on my homework until it was time for my nightly snack.

I checked my blood, and this time it read 268. I groaned- not what I had been wanting. I thought of what my insulin dose should be. Should I give the entire correction for my blood sugar plus the normal dose for the snack? No, I was going to bed soon and I didn't want my blood sugar to drop too fast during the night.

Instead, I decided on giving the normal doe with a couple added units to help lower the blood sugar a little bit- but not too much. I nodded in approval at my dose- it seemed alright. What could go wrong?

I went to sleep early in hope that my still-pounding headache would go away.

It turned out the next morning it only got worse. My blood sugar too.

* * *

**I'm planning on updating on/around my bday (the 30th), so be patient! :)**


	11. Chapter 9

**Because it's my birthday today (sweet sixteen!), you get two chapters today. Hurray! **

CHAPTER IX

The second I opened my eyes, I squeezed them shut and groaned. My headache returned, a throbbing pain within my skull, and my blood sugar felt high. Too high.

The first thought that entered my mind was: ketones. When there is not enough insulin in the body and the blood sugar skyrockets.

I thought about it, and I had more than enough symptoms for ketones. I was incredibly thirsty, I felt sick to my stomach, and I would have done anything for ten more hours of sleep.

I rolled over and reached for my kit on my nightstand. I checked my blood half-asleep, trying to place the dot of blood on the strip without smearing it. After the five-second countdown, I saw the number 362. I would have been surprised at the number- I hadn't been that high in a long time- if I didn't feel sick from the ketones. Now I had to treat the ketones. I didn't want to move, but I had to find a syringe and my vials of insulin. Luckily, my supplies weren't too far away.

I calculated the amount of insulin to take for my ketones, a task involving adding, multiplying, and percentages. Not an easy thing to do at six in the morning. After I calculated my dose, I still had another factor to add in. Even though the thought of eating breakfast appalled me, I still had to take my usual breakfast dose with the dose for the ketones.

After I took my shot, I collapsed back into bed. My headache was killing me and I wanted to go back to sleep badly.

Just then my dad peeked in my room. "Why aren't you up yet? You okay?" he asked nervously.

"Ketones," I responded. "Could you excuse me from school today? I feel horrible." He nodded, still looking sympathetic, and left the room. Not long after, he came back with a big water bottle and a straw.

"Hope this helps some. And I excused you, so you're good."

"Thanks, Dad. And don't worry, I already took some insulin. I think I'm just going to go back to sleep and I'll be all better," I reassured both him and myself. He nodded, gave me a pat on the back, and went off to work.

I heard the front door open then shut, him starting his car, then the sound of the engine fading away as he drove off. I watched the time on the radio crawl by, minute by minute, until I finally dozed off.

For once I slept peacefully, that is, until the shrill ring of my phone startled me awake.

I looked at the clock- 11:12. Who would be calling at a time I would normally be at school? Most likely a wrong number, but I answered it anyways.

"…Hello?" I answered cautiously.

"Michaela, why aren't you at school today? Are you okay?" It was a sharp male voice, and it sounded oddly familiar. I searched my brain for the owner of the voice. Then it finally clicked.

"…Brian? Wait, how did you get my number?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Got it from Faye," he answered quickly. He then repeated, "Are you okay?" It took me a moment to recuperate and think clearly before I answered.

"I'm fine, my blood sugar was a little out of whack this morning, and I didn't feel like facing school life today. I feel better already, so you can stop worrying. And shouldn't you be in class?" I dropped my voice to a whisper, even though I was home alone. I heard a light chuckle on the other line, and I smiled at the sound.

"It's lunchtime, Michaela. The bell rang a moment ago. And I am so… relieved to hear that you're fine. I was worried about you. I waited in the morning, in algebra and chem, and you weren't there…" his voice trailed off, and I could sense pain in the words. I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I tried again.

"I'm sorry Brian. It's all my fault, too. My blood was high last night, and I didn't give enough insulin for it, so it only went higher. I'm sorry," I whispered softly. Tears sprung to my eyes. I heard silence, then a sigh.

"Just take care of yourself, Michaela. I have to go now, so I'll see you later. I love you Michaela." I paused, unsure of what to say. I finally decided on a simple "I love you too."

I held the phone up to my ear even after he hung up. I gradually lowered it and looked at the small screen. He called me because he was worried about me. Even more, he had told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him in return.

Nobody ever called me because they cared. Besides my parents, obviously. I might get a text from an old friend saying they were bored and wanted someone to text with, but never had someone called just because they cared for me. And he told me he loved me. The tears slipped down my cheeks. I was loved.

Even though I was still exhausted, I pulled myself out of bed. The nauseous feeling was gone and replace by a feeling of hunger, and my headache had nearly gone away. I decided getting up and moving would help.

I thought about changing out of my pajamas, but I wasn't planning to leave the house, so I stayed in my comfortable nightgown. Next, I thought about what to eat. I went downstairs to make a sandwich to satisfy my hunger. I juggled a turkey sandwich, a bag of cheetos, and a nectarine all in my arms as I slowly went back up the stairs to my room.

I started nibbling on my sandwich, thinking of what to do next. I remembered I forgot to finish my chemistry homework, so I figured it was a good thing I stayed home today. I dug through my notes, thankful for the notes Brian supplied me, and flipped through the heavy textbook. When I finished, I attempted to read the assigned chapters of "A Gathering of Old Men" for English. I despised the book, but it had to be read. The pages dragged on and on, and I yawned in boredom. I finally slammed the book shut in frustration.

I suddenly felt a cold breeze from my open window. I looked outside, and the sky was hidden behind endless dark clouds; I hoped it wouldn't rain soon.

I checked the time. School would have just gotten out, which meant I would have my snack soon. I was hungry now though, and it wouldn't hurt to eat early.

As I rummaged through the kitchen, I heard rain pound against the windows. With a sinking feeling, I remembered I left the window in my room open. I quickly grabbed the closest snack and hurried up the stairs. I opened the door to my room- and nearly screamed.

There, standing in my room was-

"Brian!"

"I came to see you, Michaela. Anything wrong with that?"

"Wha… How'd you get in?!" I shrieked. I suddenly regretted not changing out of my nightgown earlier.

He shrugged. "Through the window. You really should close the window when it's raining. It also makes it easy for people to get in, you know."

"That wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't sleep on the second floor!" I shrieked louder. He just shrugged again, with a teasing smile.

"Anyways, you seem better. I'm glad to see that." I sighed and sat on my bed. He sat next to me.

"So," I wondered out loud, "is that the only reason you came to see me? Well here I am. Now what? And why through my window of all places?! And how?!" Brian just smiled patiently until I finished.

"Remember what I said yesterday? About 'someday we will'…?"

"'I don't want to stop this conversation, I still have a lot to learn about you'," I recalled. Brian's smile grew.

"Exactly. That 'someday' is today."

My eyes grew wide with excitement. "So then-" but Brian cut me off, laying a finger on my lips. I blushed.

"How about a deal? You answer all my questions, and then I'll tell you everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything. You deserve the truth, Michaela."

He started with simple questions: my favorite color, favorite school subject, and my favorite things to do in my free time, just to name a few. Then he wandered into the diabetes topic.

"How long have you had diabetes?"

"Since I was six, so about nine years. I remembered I was always thirsty. Couldn't get enough juice. Of course the juice wasn't helping then, it was high blood sugar, but I didn't know that. I was feeling lethargic and just wanted to eat and drink. My parents took me to the doctor, and they announced that I had type one diabetes.

"I didn't know what it all meant, I was only six! Luckily they caught the diabetes early, so I only had to stay at the hospital for three days. I was so scared. I had no clue what was happening with me, all I knew was that I had this strange disease that I would have my entire life. And I couldn't even pronounce it at the time.

"They told me I would have to take shots and finger pricks every day for the rest of my life. Ironically, the finger pricks hurt worse than the shots. I hated those. I remember I would scream every time the nurses demanded one of my fingers for the blood tests…

"I was taught how to count carbohydrates, check my blood sugar, take shots, everything. I learned that if I took care of myself properly, nothing bad would happen. Of course my mom took that overboard, restricting me from parties or sleepovers unless she came with me. My dad was pretty chill with it though, he trusted that I could take care of myself. It's kinda hard not to, I don't really remember living without diabetes."

Brian whistled softly. "Wow."

"Oh, and I've been to the hospital twice since, both on holidays. On Valentines Day a few years after I was diagnosed, I went in a diabetic coma. I was playing a lot of soccer then, and we had a really long game that went way late. Exercise lowers blood sugar levels, so tons of running around close to bed time brought my blood sugar too low. I woke up surrounded by paramedics after they gave me a glucagon shot. I have another one in my box of supplies over there," I pointed to the small cardboard box in the corner of my room containing endless syringes, alcohol swabs, vials of insulin, and an unused glucagon.

"Then the next time I went to the hospital was more of a stupid reason. After I had taken one of my regular shots in my leg, it somehow got infected. It started to swell, and gradually I couldn't walk. It sucked, since the time we finally decided to get it looked at was New Years Eve night. I spent the New Year at the hospital."

Silence enveloped us while I revisited Memory Lane.

"Wow," Brian said again, "that must have been hard." I laughed in reply.

"Not really," I said, rolling my eyes. "That's my life; I guess I'm used to it."

The silence continued before I dared to ask: "So… I've done my share, can I hear yours? What's your big secret?" Brian smiled.

"Well, there's no escape now. I'll right, I'll tell you my share."

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Ah, Rosalie is going to kill me," he muttered. He shook his head and said, "But you deserve it."

I looked at him curiously as he prepared to tell me his story.

"I'm a vampire."


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter X

(Brian's POV)

Michaela's face betrayed no emotion. I desperately wished I had Edward's mind-reading gift. I had no clue as to what was going through her mind; her stare felt penetrating.

Finally, she spoke: "how can I… believe you?" I sighed. This is what I was afraid of.

"You don't believe me."

"No! No, I believe you… I just don't see how…" I smiled. "Believe me, Michaela. We exist."

She paused, as if considering something. "But… You don't look anything like a vampire." I laughed.

"I've always been told I'm the most human-like. Besides, that's all Hollywood. True, we don't have the trademark fangs, but there's more than enough proof that separates us from you humans."

"Such as?"

"Oh, the basics: super speed, strength, near invincibility, and some of us have unique powers. Edward can read minds, Alice can catch glimpses of the future, Jasper can control emotions, and Bella can create mental force fields."

Michaela blinked curiously. "So… do you have any of those 'unique' powers?" I shook my head. "Nope, I'm just your average vampire," I grinned.

"Average vampire…" she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. I couldn't help but smile.

"So, since vampires are real, how exactly are they made vampires? Or… can you be… born a vampire?"

I sighed, knowing this question would come up. Rosalie definitely wouldn't be happy with me, betraying our secret to a human, like Edward had once done. Luckily she was vacationing with Emmett. _That would give me a few more weeks alive…_ I thought.

"No, you can only be turned into a vampire. You see, vampires are… venomous, you could say. Our bodies are filled with venom so that when we bite our prey, the venom paralyzes them and makes the kill easier. If we chose to and if we were strong enough, we could choose to keep the human alive after we bite them. The venom then slowly consumes their body. It gradually heals everything, replaces the blood, and finally stops the heart. That is how a newborn vampire is created. However, it is a very long and incredibly painful process."

I stopped and stared at Michaela. She sat there with wide eyes, like a young child would after hearing a horror story. In a way, she was.

"Scared?" I murmured. She slowly shook her head.

"That's…" she paused, thinking of the right word to use. "Horrible," she decided on. She didn't look me in the eye. I reached out and gently took her hand. "It is. It really is."

"But then," she asked pensively, "it doesn't seem hard to change… people, so why do you make it sound like it rarely happens? I mean…"

"Remember, I said 'if we were strong enough'. The scent of blood- no matter the size- is very hard for a vampire to resist. My father, Carlisle, is an exception. It's difficult for a vampire to bite and not kill. Difficult, but not impossible, as you can see."

I was curious of Michaela's emotions, how she was taking all this in. But still, her face betrayed nothing. She looked down, avoiding eye contact still.

"Tell me everything," she breathed, quieter than a whisper. I nodded.

"First, how old am I?" I asked. Michaela looked back up at me in confusion.

"Sixteen?"

"What if I told you I was born in the year 1927?"

Michaela blinked in surprise. Timidly, she added "you don't look that old."

I laughed. "Another vampire thing. As I said, I was born in 1927 in a small town of Massachusetts with the mane of Brian Jacob Matthews. I don't remember too much of my human life, but I know I was a rebellious teenager. I was about your age, around fifteen, when I ran away. I couldn't stand being around my parents, so I left them. After a while they stopped searching and gave up.

"I lived in the forests for almost two years. It was a month before I turned seventeen when it happened…" The memory suddenly flashed in my mind, and I welcomed it as I retold my story.

_A teenage boy sat in a high tree branch, watching down below. He was filthy, with dirt stains covering his jeans and a combination of leaves and dirt in his blonde hair._

_He watched the hunting party stampeding through the brush. He could see them, but they could not see him in his hiding spot. He tried to listen to their shouts, but they were all garbled together._

_Lately there had been rumors of some killer running around. People were disappearing and found dead, torn to shreds, yet no blood to be seen. People were convinced it was not human; A monster perhaps. The boy thought it was ridiculous._

_When the large crowd moved on out of sight, he swiftly jumped down from the tree. He nimbly landed on his feet. He was tempted to join the mob, but he was a runaway and had been living alone for nearly two years. They would crowd around him and return him to his family if he joined the group of men. He didn't want that._

_The boy crept through the forest, wary of any sign of humans. Finally the forest fell silent; the only sound heard were the leaves rustling in the wind._

_He watched the sun set into the dark night sky, then went off to search for water. He found a small pond, from which he took several handfuls to drink and to wash his dirt-caked face clean. _

_Suddenly he stood up, aware that he was not alone. There was no sound or movement to betray its presence, but the boy could feel the intense gaze on the back of his neck. Irritated, he turned to face the stranger. His irritation grew as he found the stranger's identity to be concealed behind a hood. He could tell the stranger was male, but nothing else. The man wore a dark cloak with a hood that cast a shadow across his face. _

_The man slowly lifted his hood with long, pale hands, and the boy gasped after glimpsing the stranger's face. Although extremely handsome, he had sinister pitch-black eyes with a touch of bright ruby red._

_The boy began to run, but the stranger quickly blocked his patch in a blink of an eye. The boy was afraid, but showed no fear. Instead, he reached for his trusty knife. Before his hand reached his pocket, however, he was tackled to the ground with brute force._

_The monster looked at him with hunger and desire, which made the boy truly terrified. He thrashed and tried to escape the powerful grip, but the monster was too strong. He kept struggling though, until he felt a sharp bite to his shoulder._

_Then the pain began._

_He screamed out in pain, not caring whether the group of men heard. Anything to make it stop. He screamed again, louder. He then fearfully opened his eyes to see the monster going for the kill. _

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, a small rock struck the monster on the head. It was from the hunting party from earlier. Distracted, the monster released its grip on the boy and started towards the group. The boy saw that as a sign of luck, and escaped. Despite the immense pain, he ran and ran until he could run no longer. The pain was too much, and he collapsed besides a large tree. He lay there for what felt like an eternity, writhing in agony over the unbearable pain._

_Finally, the pain eased, and the boy could move again. He looked around with new eyes, and realized with horror what he had become._

_He was the monster._

_***_

Michaela stared at me with wide, horrified eyes. "Oh… my…" she mouthed. I hoped she wouldn't go into shock. Instead, she pressed on: "So, what exactly was it like? …As a vampire." I was surprised at her curiosity, but continued to share my memories.

"The first moments as a newborn vampire are so different. Your senses are strengthened: you can hear from miles away, your sight is sharpened, and you can smell… everything. Especially blood. The scent of blood is so…" I paused to think of an appropriate word. "Inviting."

"When I woke up, I found my girlfriend- at the time- had been watching over me. She had always been faithful to me, occasionally visiting me in the forest." I paused to study Michaela's face, curious to see if she looked jealous. However, her wide blue eyes just urged me to continue my story.

"It was horrible. There I was, a newborn vampire- a natural killer- next to my girlfriend, who smelled so irresistible. Next thing I know, I killed her." The pain suddenly returned as I remembered the look of her eyes- her gorgeous blue eyes- as they froze in horror and shock before I killed her. I could never forgive myself for what I had done.

Michaela gingerly hugged me. "You loved her," she stated in an apathetic voice. I nodded. "She was just like you, Michaela. She had the same blue eyes, same long, blonde hair as you. Her name was Madeline. When I first saw you, you reminded me so much of her…"

"So is that why you love me?" Michaela asked sharply. "It's because I just look like your old girlfriend that you loved so much, is that it?" Her blue eyes glared at me, and I sighed. I wasn't trying to make her jealous.

"Michaela, when I first saw you, you were so amazing to me. Yes, you reminded me of Madeline, but that wasn't the only reason why I loved you. You were Madeline, but you were also… you. You were different than any other girl I've seen, and when I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one. I love you Michaela. Even though I did love Madeline, I loved you more. And," I grinned, "you smelled better."

Michaela glare dissolved, and blinked at me. She nodded, but looked troubled still.

"So… what exactly do I smell like?" she asked curiously. I laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"It's a very unique scent, but the closest thing I can compare it to, is the scent of a sweet pea. The smell of your insulin is stronger. It smells very metallic. It's bitter, but sweet at the same time."

"Bittersweet blood," Michaela murmured, dumbfounded.

I wrapped my arms around her in a loving hug and planted a kiss on her lips. We sat there, frozen, for moments until I gently broke us apart.

"You're my little sweet pea, Michaela. I will always love you with all my heart."


	13. AN: I feel like such a jerk

**THIS STORY IS ON PERMANENT HIATUS (…and has been for a while now). SORRY! :(**

I don't want to say I've completely lost interest in this story, because that wouldn't be true. However, between starting college and having seven other fanfics in my head, writing has been pretty difficult lately.

So… I hate to say this, but I probably won't update for a long time. I do have the next chapter halfway completed, so I will definitely continue sometime or another. Just not anytime soon.

Besides that, I have a couple things to say:

-Thank you thank you thank you soo much for those still adding/reviewing! It means a lot that, while I haven't updated in forever, people are still reading this. Thanks you guys!

-I'm a little short on ideas for this story. I have the next chapter planned out [spoiler: 1 mo anniversary!], Michaela meeting the Cullens (/most of them anyways), and the ending all planned out, but I have no idea what to write in between. I don't want to drag it out, but I don't want to rush this story. Any requests on things you want to see/happen? I'll consider anything (no promises though!), as long as it's not too filler-ish. You people are my support!

-Er… I'm considering rewriting some (if not all) of the past chapters… Nothing too different, but more like small editing and making it smoother. There are some parts that certainly need fixing up, heh… Anyways, tell me if you have any suggestions/ pointing something that needs to be fixed/ rewritten/ whatever you want. :P

Another thing: you guys are going to hate me, but… I've started another Maximum Ride fanfic (Paranoia in Paradise- find on my profile), and while I only have the first chapter up so far, I'd love for you to read it and tell me what you think!  
…the bad news is that I'm losing motivation for that story too, so updates aren't looking too likely. :( [read it anyways!]

I'd love to keep writing, but sadly it's not top priority anymore, and I'm running low on ideas. Sorry guys!

~~Hopefully that'll change and I'll keep writing! ~~

Peace out (and please don't hate me!)  
Diabeticgirl4


End file.
